16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Iris

A black void surrounds me. Each time I try and breathe in, I get nothing. I'm suffocating. I'm grasping at nothing, clawing at air. The world is black and cold—so very cold. It's as if I'm trapped with no way out. I suck in a deep breath.

Nothing.

I try again, but I'm still choking...

A loud gasp echoes around me, and my world is finally illuminated. I draw in a loud breath, and out of reflex, I scream. My body immediately begins convulsing, but my arms are restrained. I look around frantically, trying to understand what's happening. I'm strapped to a table, and there are needles in my arms as well as a tube through my nose that stretches down my throat. I feel myself full-on, panicking as my cries grow until a sweet and calming voice washes over me .

"Calm, Iris."

I recognize that voice. My gaze shifts when I feel her hand on my arm, rubbing it comfortingly. The heat from her skin gives comfort to my clammy flesh. It's Petra, the doctor who is an expert on all things human. I watch her in confusion as she offers me a comforting smile.

"You gave us quite a scare. I almost couldn't get you back," she says.

My eyes widen when the memory of what brought me to this point hits me. Remus. He began feeding on me in his sleep. And he wouldn't stop. He was killing me. Petra begins to move around me, checking my body in certain places before looking back at the screen in her hands. I take note that she begins writing on the screen, her hand never lifting as she connects the words that make up the Leviathan language.

"You should be fine now. Your vitals are looking good, and you're definitely able to breathe on your own," she murmurs softly before looking at me. "You'll be back to normal within the hour."

It takes me a while to realize it, but we're still in Remus's home in the capital. Petra silently removes the needles from my arm and pulls the tube from my nose before using a sponge to wipe the crusted blood from my skin.

"Sometimes, we have to rely on the native's technology when dealing with the natives," she says softly, eyeing the needles in distaste as she places them in a bowl.

"How did this happen?" I ask. My voice cracks as I speak, and Petra notices. She moves across the room to a small cabinet, opening it to reveal water. She comes toward me, holding it out for me to drink, giving me a sense of deja vu from our first encounter. The cool liquid feels amazing against my throat.

When I look at Petra, she's watching me with a strange expression before the door opens to the room. A woman I've never seen before comes in with fear in her eyes as she scans the room, focusing on Petra. They begin conversing in their foreign language with familiarity before Petra nods, looking back at me with a soft smile.

"It would seem my work here is done. He wishes to see you."

Once Petra removes her medical devices, she releases me to see Remus. As I walk up the familiar hallway, my nerves get the best of me. The Leviathan that entered the room looked terrified. Is Remus angry? What will he do when he sees me? Is he upset with me? Is he going to hurt me? I round the corner of the hallway and let out a soft gasp. The living room's usual bright glow is gone. It's dim. The only light comes from the world outside of this place. The floor-to-ceiling window gives me the view of heavy rain pouring from the sky.

My mother used to say the rain washes away a loved one's footprints from the Earth once they're gone. I can't help but wonder how many more of us have been killed today. How many more of us are having our footprints washed away right now? And how close was I to becoming one of those footprints?

"Iris."

I tense as Remus's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. He's standing near the window, looking at the beautiful scenery beyond. His back is to me, yet he knows I'm in the room. I force my legs to move, making my way over to where he stands until I am directly behind him. I keep my eyes down, unsure of how to approach him in his foreign mood.

He's still looking out the glass, silent.

He draws in a deep breath before turning to face me. Out of pure reaction, I hold my breath, letting this terrifyingly alluring creature study me. His eyes hold an emotion that I can't comprehend. His purple gaze shifts slightly, and he reaches out, grasping his hand in mine. His grip tightens, and I suddenly feel a light tingle that spreads over my flesh. It isn't the usual chill that I get when he feeds, but the opposite. It's warm.

Pleasant.

With each second that passes, the feeling of warmth spreads over my whole body. I watch him in awe as he runs his thumb lightly over my knuckles in silence. This is a new characteristic that I've never seen from Remus. He always has something to say, whether it's a threat or just a snide remark. But right now, he's completely silent. My eyes slowly shift to his body. He isn't wearing a shirt, so the symbol that usually pulses with life is visible. Right now, however, the pulse is slow. It's calming the longer I study it.

Remus's vivid gaze finally lifts to meet mine, and he steps in closer to me, the heat from his body seeping into my own. He's still staring at me with a blank expression. The only tell I have of his emotional state is the way the colors of his eyes shift. The purple is brighter than the blue. He seems to be searching for something as his eyes shift across my face. He releases me, gently running his hands along my arms before pulling me into an embrace .

My breathing hitches in my throat. He's hugging me. Remus is hugging me. He's holding me so close and allowing me to feel more warmth radiating from his body to my own. He's almost too warm. But at this moment, it feels nice. I don't know how to react, so I remain in his embrace, allowing him this moment. Whatever it means to him.

And without a word or explanation, he just continues to hug me.

"That's out of character for the Leviathan ruler," Jude says, staring at me in confusion as he tries to process the story I just told him. Remus has barely spoken to me in a week. He only ever calls my name or tells me it's time to eat. We haven't even slept in the same room since that incident, nor has he touched me sexually. He's being uncharacteristically careful with me as if he regrets what happened.

Today, Remus is meeting with more Leviathan, and instead of meeting at his home, they meet in a public place. The building itself is lavish, and the top floor holds an outdoor courtyard where the Leviathan's "pets" have been cleared to roam. As I look around at the surrounding humans, I see that some of them aren't in as bad shape as Jude. Zaya followed through with her threat of marring his face. He now sports a fresh scar that starts at his temple and ends at the bottom of his chin. He notices the direction of my gaze and gives me a soft smile, revealing his dimple.

"It doesn't hurt. Not anymore anyway," he says softly.

"I'm sorry," I say after a moment. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have that scar on his face. He wouldn't have gone through whatever torture Zaya gave.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It would have happened sooner or later. Zaya is... insatiable. She loves it when I'm in pain. It was just a matter of finding a reason to place a new one on me," he says jokingly.

"How can you be so lighthearted about that?" I ask softly. He thinks about his response momentarily before looking back at me with a shrug.

"What other way is there to be?" he asks. Now it's my turn to shrug.

"Remus doesn't need a reason to hurt me. But he doesn't like leaving the wounds that he puts there. He always heals me after," I say absentmindedly.

Jude stares at me for a moment before looking back over the courtyard.

"I couldn't imagine being the slave of Remus. Before you, he never took inhabitants from planets. At least not for personal pleasure. He used them for torture and to show their people what would happen. But to covet one the way he does with you? It's unheard of." Jude's expression grows distant as he gets a haunted look on his face .

"If only you knew some of the things he has done... I don't think you would be able to stomach his existence," he says. I watch Jude in interest, my curiosity getting the better of me. He speaks as if he's familiar with Remus over the years.

"Do you remember when they first arrived? Did you see what exactly happened that day?" I ask.

Jude looks surprised by my question. "Yeah. I was only fifteen at the time. Me and my friends were out enjoying the summer. One second, we were doing cannonballs in the pool, and the next the world just ended. People were running and screaming. It was terrifying. I don't know how I made it home. The world became a blood bath. The city I had known my entire life was destroyed. Shortly after, he appeared. Remus. He told us to surrender."

"I remember thinking how great it would be when the world fought back and sent him home... But we never did. We shut off our borders. We blamed each other. We fired a nuclear missile at Remus's location. A location that had millions of civilians. Innocent people. But it didn't matter. Because the few should always outlive the many. Or at least, that's what our world leaders believed at the time." Jude releases a bitter chuckle before continuing. "Do you know what happened to that missile? It never reached its destination," he says eerily.

My mind travels back to Remus' words.

"Where your people focused on building physical objects in mass and volume to do their bidding, we learned to manipulate matter."

A sick feeling of terror claws at my gut. Could it be possible that Remus had something to do with its disappearance? Did he somehow manipulate it? Jude continues speaking, which pulls me out of my thoughts.

"We tried everything. Everything we could to injure them, but none of it worked—none of it. Our efforts were laughable. Missiles, bullets, bombs, chemicals. None of it worked. All we succeeded in doing was destroying ourselves. So, when survivors with a will to fight slowly gathered, the resistance was formed over time. And for once, we have a real fighting chance," he finishes.

"How are you so sure? Your people were literally caught only a few weeks ago," I say. But instead of anger, excitement appears behind Jude's warm eyes.

"Zaya took me with her once when she went to conduct business. I saw more of my comrades. They're here in the city hiding. They're undercover as slaves. Zaya sends me once a week to run errands on her behalf, and I meet with them, passing along any information I can give. Zaya's problem is that she doesn't believe that I would do anything so bold, especially when she's clearly stronger than me. Arrogance will be her downfall, and it has truly helped. Since she's a general she has important paperwork around all the time. She thinks I don't know what I'm looking at."

I stare at Jude in fascination.

"So you can read their language?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Their language is all but impossible to decipher. I copy what I can and send it to the resistance to decipher on their own. It's too complex of a language without a guide," he complains. I can't help but be impressed that he's been able to do all of this.

"Does Zaya suspect?" I ask. He shakes his head .

"If she did, I would be dead," he says simply. Slowly, my brain starts to connect the dots of our conversation. Jude's heavy involvement with the resistance, his importance because of who his owner is, and the direction of the sentence he never got to finish because we were interrupted.

"So… why do you think we have a fighting chance?" I keep my eyes focused on my hands. It's all I can do to remain calm.

"We need your help," he says, confirming my suspicions.

"The information we've gotten has helped us with the Leviathan race as a whole, but we still know nothing of their leader. It's obvious he's entirely different from them. Our weapons affect the Leviathan, but it's a completely different ballgame when Remus shows up, and we have no idea why," he says.

I narrow my eyes as I realize where this is going.

"You're the first inhabitant Remus has ever taken. You're the first one to not only survive, but Remus seems to have some twisted form of leniency when it comes to you. And you're the only person on this planet who can get close to him and get the information we need. When I saw you at that party risk your life, knowing the consequences, I just knew that you were different. You hate them just as much as we do. But I had no idea how I could possibly get to you even to ask, and then, Zaya brought me right to you. It has to be fate. You are the answer to so many people's prayers, Iris." He takes a deep breath.

"You have to find his weakness. We need you to give us all the information in his grasp. Help us defeat them. Help us get our planet back." Jude's words force my chest to tighten as he continues speaking. And I stand, having my own outburst with fear fueling me.

"Are you crazy?" I shout. Jude looks behind me in fear at my sudden outburst and back to me.

"Shhhh!" he hisses, but I shake my head in disbelief.

"You said it yourself: Remus is not like the rest of them . You saw what he did to me at that party. Can you imagine what he would do if he found out I was spying on him?" I ask.

"I know that I'm asking a lot of you, Iris. But I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think you were capable," he says desperately. I sit back, considering his words.

He's right. I am the only person close enough. And Remus is the key to the Leviathan race as a whole. His mother is the one who had a hand in shaping it into what it is today. I think back to the humans in that horrible place Remus took me to. I think of all the humans that suffered in the blight, including Margot, who continues to suffer daily without a prayer. And now, if there is truly a fighting chance, thanks to Jude, I am what stands between the human race and victory.

I heave a deep sigh.

"If I do this, you have to promise me something, Jude," I say. I finally look up with tears in my eyes. Scared is an understatement. I'm terrified. And I know that if I get caught doing this, Remus will kill me. It won't be a merciful death, either. He will make me suffer as he has every time he's caught me doing something as simple as disobeying him .

"If you find a way to escape, you have to promise to take me with you," I say. Jude's eyes widen as I speak.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm scared. But for the sake of humanity, I will do it so that they can be free. I don't want to die at the hands of that monster. I want to fight alongside my people, and I want to enjoy that freedom as well once we win," I say.

I shift closer to Jude, my eyes remaining focused on the humans whose freedom has been taken away just like ours.

"If I get caught, Jude, Remus will mutilate my body and do everything he can to make sure that I stay alive through it all. He won't take this betrayal lightly. I know people will want me to be brave, but I'm not. And I don't want to die that way. You say you saw what he's done to our people... I've lived it. If you think I'm close to being broken, just think about how I've gotten here. So if you find a way to escape, once we have all the information we need, you have to promise to take me. You can't leave me behind," I say.

He gives me a knowing smile, his dimple appearing again.

"I promise you, Iris. I won't leave you behind. We'll both find a way out of this. I swear," he says.

I return his smile. "Thank you."

I then launch into everything I know about the Leviathan so far, including what I know about Remus and his origin. Jude watches me quietly, listening the whole time. He doesn't speak as I explain, but he does get looks of disbelief. When I finish, he stares at the ground for a minute before finally speaking. He releases a soft laugh.

"We're in over our heads, aren't we?" he asks .

I can't help but laugh with him.

"Yeah," I say.

"But we'll find a way, Jude. We will," I say, trying to reassure him.

The day passes, and Jude and I discuss everything from plans to comparing our masters until we finally circle back to reading their language.

"Remus leaves plans and maps out all the time. He leaves everything with easy access, and I can't even read it," I say bitterly after explaining Remus's reaction to my wanting to learn. Jude chuckles softly.

"I can't believe you asked him to teach you," he says. I laugh, looking out over the courtyard.

"It's like you said, he's lenient with me. He offered to teach me if..." I trail off, my eyes widening when I realize the solution to our problem. I look at Jude, my cheeks burning as I remember Remus's constant offerings. All I have to do is earn it. Jude raises a brow at me in confusion.

"What?" he asks.

"He'll teach me... I just have to earn it," I whisper. Jude stares at me in shock. If Remus teaches me, and I can read the plans he carelessly leaves around, I can help. I can not only help, but I can end his reign. I can give the resistance plans that haven't even happened yet. Locations of cities and armadas. Even possibly his weakness. Before I can elaborate, Zaya and Remus emerge from the meeting. Slaves immediately rise to meet their masters, as do Jude and I. As I watch Jude walk away with Zaya, I can't help but feel pity for him. At the same time, I admire him .

"Iris, you have been staring at the door for a while now," Remus speaks behind me. I slowly turn to face him and he's watching me in irritation.

"He won't be coming back," he says, turning away from me. I immediately follow, and we make our way back to Remus's residence in silence.

We return to Remus's home in record time, but he once again leaves me alone without a word. After a moment of collecting my thoughts, I make my way up the hallway, gathering my nerves. I try to calm myself down, but as the gravity of the situation weighs on me, I'm trembling by the time I reach Remus's room. I hesitate in the doorway to find him getting dressed. He's in all white, which means that wherever he's going must be important. I slowly make my way into the room, and Remus continues to get dressed, not bothering to acknowledge me.

"Where are you going?" I ask. Now, he stops and looks at me. He seems to be thinking about whether or not he wants to share the information with me, but decides to.

"A new waste has been discovered. I'm going to eradicate it," he says simply.

"Eradicate?" I ask. I don't know what that word means, but coming from Remus's lips, I know it can't be good. He smiles to himself .

"Sometimes I forget you lack the proper education—"

"If your people hadn't destroyed the world before I could make it through the educational system, I might have been a little smarter," I growl, letting my anger get the best of me. Remus looks at me so quickly that I flinch. There is a small frown on his lips, and he stops what he's doing to make his way to where I stand. He towers over me, leaning into me as he strokes my cheek lightly.

"I never said you weren't smart, Iris," he says.

I blush furiously, looking away.

"While I wouldn't make some of the decisions you choose to stand by, it is no indication of your intelligence. Just that you're too gentle for your own good," he adds.

"Someone has to fight for us," I say, avoiding his gaze.

"That is true, but the people that should have, did, and failed. Do you really think that your attempts will save anyone?"

His words are meant to strike me down, but they only increase my drive for tonight. He has no idea what my attempts from this point forward will bring. He doesn't know that I've already gotten proof that my attempt to save those humans had a positive effect.

"It doesn't have to. As long as they have hope," I say.

Remus laughs. "That is a nice sentiment, Iris."

He walks past me to the door of the room. He's leaving, and I haven't even put my plan into motion. I reach for his shirt, grabbing the edge of the fabric. My fingers are shaking, my knuckles white from the strength of my grip. But he stops, and when I look up, Remus is watching me with a strange expression. But he doesn't tell me to let go. Finally, a smile forms on his lips. He's amused. And I find myself blushing furiously at his gaze especially since I know now exactly what he's thinking and how he sees me.

"Whatever it is you want to say, say it." His voice is gentle as he speaks to me, and I look into his gaze. The blue flecks within his eyes shine bright in excitement, and I know I have him.

"You said reading is a privilege, and I would have to earn that, and you said that if I... give in, you will teach me your language," I whisper.

Remus's gaze darkens, and he steps closer to me. "Oh?"

I slowly nod my head, my mind swirling with doubt. I don't know why I thought I could do this. I can't. Remus is terrifying. And I have his full attention.

"I... want to learn. I want to... earn it," I whisper. My eyes are wide, and my heart is hammering against my chest as I stare at the ground in terror. Remus chuckles above me, probably listening to my heartbeat.

"Iris... your heart is beating so fast," he muses. His heat slowly engulfs me as he steps in closer, suffocating me with his scent.

"How do you plan on earning the privilege of reading from me?" he purrs.

I force my mind to go blank as I raise up on my toes, pressing my lips against his. Instead of pushing me away, Remus wraps his hands around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I feel the rigid press of his erection against my belly, and before I know it, we're both on the bed. Remus straddles me as he kisses me with an intensity that swallows my thoughts. It takes all of my willpower to remain focused on the task. I have to earn it. Remus snakes his hand down the front of my dress, dipping his finger inside my panties. He finds my clit and begins rubbing just before dipping inside of me.

With Remus, all it takes is a kiss, and my body is calling for him, so he slips in easily, my sex already throbbing with desire only he can quell. Remus pushes his tongue in my mouth, deepening the kiss, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in close to me. I make sure to press my breasts against his chest, rubbing my body against his.

I have to become the minx he sees me as.

I use the weight of my body to flip us over so that I'm on top, and for some reason, Remus lets me. I place my hands on his chest to steady myself, my sex pressing against the front of his pants. It takes all of my strength not to grind myself against him to find my release. I recall Remus's directions when he first showed me what lust was, and I slowly move down his body to the apex of his thighs. My fingers are shaking as I reach for the foreign material of his pants, pulling at the top until it releases with a faint "pop."

I push the fabric away, pulling Remus's erect cock free. My eyes widen as I take in his sheer size and length in my palm. I lightly tighten my grip, running my thumb over the tip that has already begun to seep with a sticky liquid.

"Iris, what are you doing?" Remus's voice sounds strained as he speaks, and when I look at him, his expression is, for once, not guarded as he watches me. His eyes burn bright with excitement. I lean in closer to his cock, licking the tip slightly, earning a shudder from Remus .

"I'm earning it," I whisper before pulling him between my lips. I have to stretch my jaw just to take him in full, my mouth aching as I take him into my throat. He's trembling beneath as I find a rhythm, mimicking the way he fucks me with my mouth. When I reach the tip, I use my tongue to swirl over before taking him into my throat again. I feel complete control when I hear him groan beneath me. I feel powerful at this moment. The most powerful being in the world, and I have him just by pulling him between my lips.

Remus has me up, my clothes in tatters around us as his lips capture mine. His thumb runs over my breasts, and he squeezes them lightly, earning a gasp of pleasure from me. I almost give in to the growing ache between my legs and let him have his way, but I can't. I have to ensure victory. I press my hands against his chest, rising up on my knees. I make sure to keep kissing him as I switch our positions, with him lying on the bed as I straddle him with my naked body. I slowly rise up over him, meeting his gaze as I hold his rigid length in my hand, angling him toward my opening.

His lips curl in amusement as I lower myself onto his cock. The tip pushes past my opening, stretching me uncomfortably, and I cry out softly from the fullness of this position. I let gravity take me as I fully sheath him inside of me, my eyes focusing on his.

He laughs softly, his hands wrapping around my waist as he steadies me.

"Is this you earning it, Pet?" His voice is like silk, adding to my arousal. He thrusts, and I cry out from the weight of pleasure. I squeeze my eyes shut as I grab ahold of his hands, pulling them over his head to entwine our fingers. I open my eyes, my lips inches above his, making sure I look into his gaze.

I move my body, lifting before sliding back down atop him. The penetration from this angle is deep, and I feel him stroking me in places I never thought possible to reach. I feel my clit throbbing as I grind my pelvis against his, adding to my pleasure. The more I ride him at this angle, the more control I have over my own body. My own orgasm. I can feel it building as I speed up my rhythm.

I look Remus in the eyes and can see his usual control slipping as he stares back. His lips are set in line as he stares at me in complete fascination. I lean back, placing my hands against his thighs to steady myself as I move up and down on his shaft. I toss my head back, feeling my short hair tickle my upper back as pleasure rockets through me. My cries fill the room.

I feel not only in complete control but free. Remus's hands grip my waist, and for once, I hear his moans, too.

I have him.

I lean forward, looking him in his eyes to use his pleasure against him, the same way he does to me all the time.

"Will you teach me?" I ask. His gaze narrows, and he searches my face. I slow down my rhythm, slowly lifting before grinding myself against him. He trembles in pleasure, a smirk playing at his lips as he reaches up, gripping my face. He licks my bottom lip, his thumb holding my face steady as he growls his answer.

"Okay."

With that one word, my control is gone. He places his forehead against mine, his free hand gripping my waist as he thrusts into me from below. I cry out in pleasure from each stroke he gives, climbing closer and closer to my climax. My body seizes up, and my orgasm washes over me. I open my mouth, ready to let my screams echo off the wall, but Remus's lips close around mine, swallowing my moans. My inner walls spasm around his thrusting length, clutching at his shaft as I shake atop him. I finally come down from my high, my body covered in sweat as I sag against his chest. He chuckles softly beneath me, and it takes me a moment to realize that he didn't climax.

He flips us so that he is behind me as he presses me into the headboard of the bed, entering me roughly from behind. His lips press against my ear as he whispers his intent.

"We aren't finished yet."